The Effect of Substance Use on the Relationship between PTSD Symptom Clusters and Suicide in Adolescents

Adolescent Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a multifaceted, debilitating disorder that if left untreated has been shown to lead to problematic internalizing and externalizing behaviors including suicidal ideation and substance use. Little is known about the course of PTSD in adolescents and less is known about the individual effects of PTSD symptom clusters. Furthermore, there is a dearth in the literature studying the predictive effects of PTSD, substance use and suicidality in adolescent samples. Participants were a clinical sample of adolescents referred from inpatient and outpatient clinics in the Pacific Northwest as part of a larger study. Ages of participants ranged from 13 to 19 (M=15.70) and were primarily white and female. This sample reported high rates of trauma exposure (M = 3.4) and subclinical but prevalent PTSD symptoms. Additionally, substance use was uncommon but moderately severe and prevalent but infrequent suicidal ideation (M = 7.06). We investigated the indirect effect of substance use on the relationship between the four symptom clusters of PTSD and suicidal ideation in this correlational study. We found significant correlations between trauma exposure and substance use (r(75) = .239, p ≤ .05), PTSD symptom clusters and suicidal ideation (Intrusion r(75) = .431, p ≤ .01; Avoidance r(75) = .324, p ≤ .01; NACM r(75) = .423, p ≤ .01; Arousal r(75) = .429, p ≤ .05). We did not find support that the four symptom clusters individually predicted suicidal ideation in regression analyses. Ancillary analysis results showed that total PTSD symptoms were predictive of suicidal ideation (b = .48, t(75) = 4.43, p = \u3c.01). However, substance use did not mediate the relationship in any model. This study suggests that subclinical levels of cluster symptoms of PTSD is not predictive of suicidal ideation in adolescents and moreover substance use may not mediate the relationship. Total PTSD symptoms and trauma exposure were predictive of suicidal ideation and substance use respectively, suggesting that clinicians should assess and treat substance use and suicidal ideation when working with trauma exposed youth. Future investigation should focus on larger samples of non-clinical adolescents and use longitudinal measurements to make causal inferences

Accumulation and dissemination of prion protein in experimental sheep scrapie in the natural host

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In order to study the sites of uptake and mechanisms of dissemination of scrapie prions in the natural host under controlled conditions, lambs aged 14 days and homozygous for the VRQ allele of the PrP gene were infected by the oral route. Infection occurred in all lambs with a remarkably short and highly consistent incubation period of approximately 6 months. Challenge of lambs at approximately eight months of age resulted in disease in all animals, but with more variable incubation periods averaging significantly longer than those challenged at 14 days.</p> <p>This model provides an excellent system in which to study the disease in the natural host by virtue of the relatively short incubation period and close resemblance to natural infection.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Multiple sites of prion uptake were identified, of which the most important was the Peyer's patch of the distal ileum.</p> <p>Neuroinvasion was detected initially in the enteric nervous system prior to infection of the central nervous system. At end stage disease prion accumulation was widespread throughout the entire neuraxis, but vacuolar pathology was absent in most animals that developed disease at 6–7 months of age.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Initial spread of detectable PrP was consistent with drainage in afferent lymph to dependent lymph nodes. Subsequent accumulation of prions in lymphoid tissue not associated with the gut is consistent with haematogenous spread. In addition to macrophages and follicular dendritic cells, prion containing cells consistent with afferent lymph dendritic cells were identified and are suggested as a likely vehicle for carriage of prions from initial site of uptake to the lymphoreticular system, and as potential carriers of prion protein in blood. It is apparent that spongiform change, the characteristic lesion of scrapie and other prion diseases, is not responsible for the clinical signs in sheep, but may develop in an age dependent manner.</p

Charge rearrangement and screening in a quantum point contact

Compressibility measurements, sensitive to charge rearrangements, are performed on a quantum point contact (QPC). Screening due to mobile charges in the QPC is quantitatively measured, using a second point contact to detect the screened electrical potential. These measurements are performed from pinch-off through the opening of the first few modes in the QPC. While the measured signal closely matches a Thomas-Fermi-Poisson prediction, deviations from the classical behavior, in the form of additional dips, are apparent near the openings of the different modes, with the largest dip at the opening of the first mode. Density functional calculations attribute the first dip to exchange interactions. The other dips reflect the diverging density of states at the opening of each one-dimensional mode, which affects both kinetic and exchange contributions to the energy.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. Published in PRL. Supplementary Information is included. Changes: Two references and journal reference adde

Switching of a photochromic molecule on gold electrodes: single-molecule measurements

We have studied the electronic changes caused by light-induced isomerization of a photochromic molecule between an open state (that absorbs in the UV to become closed) and a closed state (that absorbs in the visible to become open). Data obtained using a newly developed repetitive break junction method are interpreted in terms of single-molecule resistances of 526 +/- 90 M Omega in the open form and 4 +/- 1 M Omega in the closed form when the molecule is bound between two gold contacts via dithiol linkages. The corresponding ratio of open to closed resistance is in close agreement with the results of ab initio calculations, though the measured resistances are about half of the calculated values. Optical spectroscopy indicates that the photoisomerization occurs in both directions on small gold particles, evaporated thin gold films, and in the break junction experiments

The Wrangel Island Polynya in early summer : trends and relationships to other polynyas and the Beaufort Sea High

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2012. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geophysical Research Letters 39 (2012): L05503, doi:10.1029/2011GL050691.Polynyas, regions of reduced sea ice concentration relative to their surroundings, are important features of the polar climate system in which enhanced fluxes of heat, moisture, and momentum can occur between the atmosphere and ocean. As such, they play a significant role in many atmospheric, oceanographic and biological processes. There are concerns that in a warming climate, in which there is a trend towards a reduction in sea ice cover, that the location, size and duration of many polynyas may change resulting in climatological and ecological impacts. In this paper, we identify an early summer manifestation of the Wrangel Island polynya that forms in the western Chuckchi Sea. We show that over the past 30 years there has been an increased frequency of occurrence as well as a doubling in the size of the polynya. The polynya is shown to form when there is an enhanced easterly flow over the Chukchi Sea that is associated with an anomalously intense Beaufort Sea High (BSH), a closed anti-cyclonic atmospheric circulation that forms over the Beaufort Sea. We also show that there has been a concomitant trend towards a more intense BSH over the same time period and we propose that this trend is responsible for the observed changes in the Wrangel Island polynya. Given its large and increasing size, the early summer polynya may also play an important and unaccounted role in the physical and biological oceanography of the western Chukchi Sea.GWKM was supported by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada. RSP was supported by the NOAA project NA08-OAR4320895.2012-09-1

The evaluation of exposure risks for natural transmission of scrapie within an infected flock

Background: Although the epidemiology of scrapie has been broadly understood for many years, attempts to introduce voluntary or compulsory controls to eradicate the disease have frequently failed. Lack of precision in defining the risk factors on farm has been one of the challenges to designing control strategies. This study attempted to define which parts of the annual flock management cycle represented the greatest risk of infection to naive lambs exposed to the farm environment at different times.Results: In VRQ/VRQ lambs exposed to infected sheep at pasture or during lambing, and exposed to the buildings in which lambing took place, the attack rate was high and survival times were short. Where exposure was to pasture alone the number of sheep affected in each experimental group was reduced, and survival times were longer and related to length of exposure.Conclusion: At the flock level, eradication and control strategies for scrapie must take into account the need to decontaminate buildings used for lambing, and to reduce (or prevent) the exposure of lambs to infected sheep, especially in the later stages of incubation, and at lambing. The potential for environmental contamination from pasture should also be considered. Genotype selection may still prove to be the only viable tool to prevent infection from contaminated pasture, reduce environmental contamination and limit direct transmission from sheep to sheep

The role of BMI in allostatic load and risk of cancer death

INTRODUCTION: Obesity and proinflammatory conditions are associated with increased risks of cancer. The associations of baseline allostatic load with cancer mortality and whether this association is modified by body mass index (BMI) were examined. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed in March-September 2022 using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey years 1988 through 2010 linked with the National Death Index through December 31, 2019. Fine and Gray Cox proportional hazard models were stratified by BMI status to estimate subdistribution hazard ratios of cancer death between high and low allostatic load status (adjusted for age, sociodemographics, and health factors). RESULTS: In fully adjusted models, high allostatic load was associated with a 23% increased risk of cancer death (adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio=1.23; 95% CI=1.06, 1.43) among all participants, a 3% increased risk of cancer death (adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio=1.03; 95% CI=0.78, 1.34) among underweight/healthy weight adults, a 31% increased risk of cancer death (adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio=1.31; 95% CI=1.02, 1.67) among overweight adults, and a 39% increased risk of death (adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio=1.39; 95% CI=1.04, 1.88) among obese adults, when compared to those with low allostatic load. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of cancer death is highest among those with high allostatic load and obese BMI, but this effect was attenuated among those with high allostatic load and underweight/healthy or overweight BMI

Impact of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network: Accelerating the Translation of Research Into Practice

The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN) is a thematic network dedicated to accelerating the adoption of evidence-based cancer prevention and control practices in communities by advancing dissemination and implementation science. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute, CPCRN has operated at two levels: Each participating Network Center conducts research projects with primarily local partners as well as multicenter collaborative research projects with state and national partners. Through multicenter collaboration, thematic networks leverage the expertise, resources, and partnerships of participating centers to conduct research projects collectively that might not be feasible individually. Although multicenter collaboration often is advocated, it is challenging to promote and assess. Using bibliometric network analysis and other graphical methods, this paper describes CPCRN’s multicenter publication progression from 2004 to 2014. Searching PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science in 2014 identified 249 peer-reviewed CPCRN publications involving two or more centers out of 6,534 total. The research and public health impact of these multicenter collaborative projects initiated by CPCRN during that 10-year period were then examined. CPCRN established numerous workgroups around topics such as: 2-1-1, training and technical assistance, colorectal cancer control, federally qualified health centers, cancer survivorship, and human papillomavirus. The paper discusses the challenges that arise in promoting multicenter collaboration and the strategies that CPCRN uses to address those challenges. The lessons learned should broadly interest those seeking to promote multisite collaboration to address public health problems, such as cancer prevention and control

A Systematic Review of Mosquito Coils and Passive Emanators: Defining Recommendations for Spatial Repellency Testing Methodologies.

Mosquito coils, vaporizer mats and emanators confer protection against mosquito bites through the spatial action of emanated vapor or airborne pyrethroid particles. These products dominate the pest control market; therefore, it is vital to characterize mosquito responses elicited by the chemical actives and their potential for disease prevention. The aim of this review was to determine effects of mosquito coils and emanators on mosquito responses that reduce human-vector contact and to propose scientific consensus on terminologies and methodologies used for evaluation of product formats that could contain spatial chemical actives, including indoor residual spraying (IRS), long lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs) and insecticide treated materials (ITMs). PubMed, (National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), U.S. National Library of Medicine, NIH), MEDLINE, LILAC, Cochrane library, IBECS and Armed Forces Pest Management Board Literature Retrieval System search engines were used to identify studies of pyrethroid based coils and emanators with key-words "Mosquito coils" "Mosquito emanators" and "Spatial repellents". It was concluded that there is need to improve statistical reporting of studies, and reach consensus in the methodologies and terminologies used through standardized testing guidelines. Despite differing evaluation methodologies, data showed that coils and emanators induce mortality, deterrence, repellency as well as reduce the ability of mosquitoes to feed on humans. Available data on efficacy outdoors, dose-response relationships and effective distance of coils and emanators is inadequate for developing a target product profile (TPP), which will be required for such chemicals before optimized implementation can occur for maximum benefits in disease control